Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset to tackle Apple with assist from Google and Qualcomm

Samsung Electronics launched its Galaxy XR prolonged actuality headset on Tuesday, relying on AI options from Google to propel it into the nascent and unsure market of computing-on-your-face that’s dominated by Meta and Apple.

The headset, resembling these made by others equivalent to Meta, will price $1,799, or about half of what Apple fees for its Vision Pro headset.

It is the primary of a household of recent units, powered by the Android XR working system and synthetic intelligence, in a long-term partnership with Alphabet’s Google and Qualcomm.

“There’s a whole journey ahead of us in terms of other devices and form factors,” stated Google’s vice chairman of AR/XR Sharham Izadi in an interview forward of the launch.

Up subsequent would be the launch of lighter eyeglasses, executives stated, declining to elaborate. Samsung has introduced partnerships with Warby Parker and South Korea’s Gentle Monster luxurious eyewear.

The race to search out new type components for leisure and computing, underpinned by AI, has fueled a battle among the many largest know-how corporations. Instagram-owner Meta overwhelmingly dominates the VR headset trade with about an 80% market share, with Apple trailing behind.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI can be diving into the market and spent $6.5 billion to purchase iPhone designer Jony Ive’s {hardware} startup io Products in May to determine units within the AI age.

USING GOOGLE AI STRENGTH

The long-awaited Samsung Galaxy XR, first demonstrated final yr, combines digital actuality and combined actuality options. The goggles immerse customers watching movies, equivalent to on Alphabet’s YouTube, or taking part in video games and viewing footage, whereas additionally permitting customers to work together with their environment.

The latter function takes benefit of Google’s Gemini service, which might analyze what customers are seeing and supply instructions or details about real-world objects by trying and circling objects with their fingers.

In an interview final week, executives from Google and Samsung mentioned how they consider prolonged actuality headsets, which have but to ignite mass client curiosity, would profit significantly from the applying of Google’s highly effective multimodal AI options all through the system that may course of info from various kinds of knowledge equivalent to textual content, pictures and movies.

It’s a set of software program capabilities that Apple has but to exhibit, regardless of rolling out an up to date Vision Pro with a extra highly effective chip.

“Google entering the fray again changes the dynamic in the ecosystem,” stated Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, noting that Google’s software program added $1,000 in worth to the system by some estimates. “Google really wants people to get the full experience of Gemini when using this headset.”

Customers who purchase the system this yr will obtain a bundle of free companies together with 12 months of entry to Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass and different specialised XR content material, the businesses stated.

The prototype for AI-enhanced goggles was prepared by the point Apple had launched its Vision Pro headset in 2024, executives stated, as they sought to reinforce current functions like YouTube and Google Photos and Google Maps, whereas creating new immersive experiences.

Like many first-generation applied sciences, it makes an attempt to do a number of issues that would have client and enterprise functions.

Qualcomm is offering its Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip to energy the headset.

DIFFICULT MARKET

Many tech CEOs have been seduced by what they are saying is the subsequent large factor in private computing, however the market stays tiny by tech requirements.

Research agency Gartner estimated the worldwide Head-Mounted Display market is anticipated to rise by 2.6% from this yr to $7.27 billion subsequent yr. Lighter, eyeglass-type AI units equivalent to Meta’s smartglasses made in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica Ray-Bans are anticipated to drive most of this development.

Despite the increasing aggressive panorama, the worldwide digital actuality market, which incorporates so-called ‘mixed reality’ headsets launching extra lately, has confronted three consecutive years of decline. Weakening once more, shipments in 2025 are anticipated to fall 20% yr on yr, based on analysis agency Counterpoint.

“With a potentially more competitive price point than Apple’s Vision Pro, Samsung’s Project Moohan headset could emerge as a strong contender in the premium VR segment, particularly within the enterprise market,” Counterpoint senior analyst Flora Tang.

The Galaxy XR is the primary Android XR system. But Samsung has dabbled with face-mounted computing units relationship again a decade, involving slipping a smartphone right into a headset, referred to as the Gear VR, in partnership with VR headset maker Oculus. Meta acquired Oculus in 2014.